As a Southern-descended chef doing home-cooked Italian in one of the most spectacularly modern spaces in town, Via Vai chef and onetime NOW cover dude Joe Friday has never really been one to stick with convention. So for an upcoming food event, he’s transforming the place into a massive tribute to the last rulers of Egypt (because why not).
Thrown in tandem with food pop-up purveyors U-Feast, Via Vai’s Alexandria event will revive foods sampled by nobles in Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty. If you’re not up on your ancient history, that’s the final dynasty of ancient Egypt, beginning with Alexander the Great’s death and ending with the rule of Cleopatra and the subsequent Roman conquest.
But what does that history lesson mean for you, hungry reader? Friday’s $70-per-person menu, to be served one night only on April 27, pulls its flavours from the banks of the Nile but adds a few modern flourishes: prawns with crispy sunchokes, celeriac and sumac gnocchi, smoked duck in marigold jus and goat milk cheesecake topped with figs and peaches. Grab your tickets at U-Feast.
nataliam@nowtoronto.com | @nataliamanzocco
